Dear puzzle friends,
it is my great pleasure to invite you to take part in the "Hausigel Contest Series". This is a series of puzzle contests which will take place in 2013. Twelve contests are currently planned, they will take place once in each month. The contests will be hosted on the homepage of the German puzzle community:
http://www.logic-masters.de/?chlang=en
As usual, there will be an individual scoring for each contest; plus, there will be a total scoring. More about this below.

Each contest will run over 72 hours in total (Friday noon till next Monday noon). The working time is 120 minutes for each contest. The results will always be published as soon as possible, with a small delay (a few days) for manual score adjustments. Manual adjustments are planned, usually without penalty, but possibly only after a brief mail exchange with the participants. Details on this subject will be announced for each contest individually.

The perfect score for each contest will be 500 points. For the total scoring, there will be an additional time bonus of 1 point per 30 seconds for each contest (of course, the bonus can only be obtained if the participant has a perfect score in that contest, that is, 500 points). The total score is then obtained as follows: In each contest, the best participant receives 100 points, the score for every other participant is his percentage of the best score in that contest. For each participant, the best nine results will enter the total scoring, the other scores will be discarded. This is also motivated by the idea that some participants will not be able to take part in all the contests.

Supplement: If not all the contests can be held for some reason, only three of out four contests will enter the total scoring (rounded up, e.g. eight results from ten contests).

I have designed and checked all the contests myself; if there are any mistakes, I hope for your understanding. The points that are assigned to each puzzle are based on my personal estimates; usually the hard puzzles are a little underrated and the easy puzzles are overrated. Each contest is based on a theme; even if some of the themes are less popular than others, I hope to see many participants, both in the individual contests and the total event.

You will find more information about the contest series in the German forum:
http://forum.logic-masters.de/showthread.php?tid=1098
or on the overview page of the contest series:
http://www.hausigel.de/e-hcs.html
Enjoy!
Hausigel

I've failed to navigate the German LM site 3-4 times. Its a huge shame considering the vast amount of great puzzles there. Perhaps, for this contest, you could make a quick diversion from the main page and to a separate competition window, where it is more English-friendly?
Just suggesting.

If you are already registered on the German LM site, you can access the contests directly from the main page: There is a box on the right-hand side; you will recognize the contests of this series by the abbreviation "HCS". For example, the first contest is "HCS 1: Zerlegungsrätsel" (Dissection puzzles). The link will take you to the contest page directly.
If you are not registered yet, you can try the same, but a box in the center will appear that says:
"Contest Engine
Um an einem Wettbewerb teilnehmen zu können, müssen Sie registriert und angemeldet (oben rechts anmelden) sein."
(This means, you cannot participate in our contests without registration.) If you click on the word "registriert", it will take you to the registration page, which is again in English.
If you want to register anyway, you will find the registration page here:
http://www.logic-masters.de/registrieren.php?chlang=en
I am aware that there is still a lot room for improvement, but I do not have access to these parts. I will announce each of the HCS contests beforehand, and I will post a direct link to the contest page. You can also navigate to each of the contests directly from the overview page (third link in my first post). Btw, the first contest takes place January 11th-14th, the instruction file will be accessible a week from now. The instruction files and contest files are bilingual (German and English).

I've been locked out. Had a reset code sent to me. Reset my password. Tried to log in 3 times => all failed.
Can the organizer look at this for me please? This is not the first time its happening to me.

The instruction file for the first contest is now available at the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?chlang=en&id...
The contest HCS 1 (Dissection puzzles) will take place from Jan. 11th till Jan. 14th. Please note that a new thread for this contest has been opened in the German forum, questions are welcome (in English as well):
http://forum.logic-masters.de/showthread.php?tid=1109
Let me also point you to my new puzzle blog:
http://www.hausigel.de/blog/
Here I will occasionally make a note on puzzle types used in the HCS. (I will write in German, but the puzzle instructions are available in English, too.)
Hausigel

The contest HCS 1 will start in a few hours. Please see the German forum for a few last-minute remarks on solution codes and manual score adjustments. Good luck to all participants!

The contest is over, and the table should be visible for everyone; I have not finalized the standings yet. Score adjustment requests (for 80% of the points) are still possible until Wednesday noon.

So far, I have only sent a message to the participants when the syntax for a solution code was wrong. If you believe you have solved one or more puzzles correctly and your solution codes are not accepted, please let me know (email: hcs@hausigel.de), and I will get back to you asap.

Thanks a lot for participating.
Hausigel

The scoring for the contest HCS 1 has been finalized, HCS 2 has been activated (the instruction file will be available for download this evening). The contest HCS 2 will take place Feb 1st - Feb 4th. I will post more information about score adjustments etc. in the German forum.
Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?chlang=en&id...

The contest HCS 2 will start 2 days from now. I have posted a few last-minute details in the German forum.
Short version: (Concerning manual adjustments) I will inquire in case of syntax errors; apart from that, adjustments will be made only on request. If manual score adjustments are necessary, only 80% of the points will be awarded.
(I know the original announcement said that there will usually be no penalty. But, having seen the large number of typing errors on the one hand and the large amount of time some participants invest in checking their solutions on the other hand, I feel that the 20% penalty is reasonable.)

The contest has started. Good luck to all participants.

The contest is over, and the table should be visible for everyone; I have not finalized the standings yet. Score adjustment requests (for 80% of the points) are still possible until Wednesday noon.

So far, I have only sent a message to the participants when the syntax for a solution code was wrong. If you believe you have solved one or more puzzles correctly and your solution codes are not accepted, please let me know (email: hcs@hausigel.de), and I will get back to you asap.

Thanks a lot for participating.
Hausigel

Hi, is it possible to get the password? I am not able to find it there. Thanks

Edited by greenhorn 2013-02-04 7:31 PM

Hi,
after the contest is over, it cannot be started until the scores have been finalized and the contest has been put in "free" mode. This will happen in about two days; I have sent you a private message with the password.
Hausigel

Hi,
i lost this contest. I can get the password for puzzles?

Hi,
I have sent you a private message as well.
The contest file (and the password) will be available again on the contest page in about 24 hours.
Hausigel

The scoring for the contest HCS 2 has been finalized.

Hi folks,
the contest HCS 3 will take place in a little more than a week (Mar 8-11), the instruction file is already available. A few inaccuracies in the instructions have been brought to my attention; I have posted some amendments in the German forum:
http://forum.logic-masters.de/showthread.php?tid=1137&pid=19582
A few notes on manual score adjustments will follow shortly.
Hausigel

Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?id=46

The contest has started. Good luck to all participants.

The contest HCS 3 is over, the preliminary scoring should be visible. I have already made manual adjustments in case of typos. Further score adjustments are only intended for "wrong" solution codes if there is an actual solution with the respective words. Please submit any requests until Wednesday noon, then I will finalize the scoring.
Hausigel

Hi,
the contest HCS 3 has been finalized. Congratulations to Nikola on an excellent performance, and to the runner-ups as well.
The next contest HCS 4 will take place on April 5-8. The instruction file is already available.
Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?chlang=en&id...
Hausigel

The contest HCS 4 will start in two hours. A few notes on manual score adjustments can be found in the German forum:
http://forum.logic-masters.de/showthread.php?tid=1140
Good luck to all participants!

Edited by Hausigel 2013-04-05 1:46 PM

Hello,
the contest is over, and I would already like to thank all participants, even though only four of the twelve intended HCS rounds are finished. I appreciate every single attendance, no matter if the participants are top solvers or try only a handful of puzzles in each contest.
As usual, I have sent messages to those who entered a solution code with the wrong syntax. I have also made a couple of score adjustments without penalty for puzzle 3 (Anglers) where the wrong entries were based on an unwanted alternative interpretation of the solution code. Further score adjustments will only take place on the initiative of the participants. I will finalize the scoring on Wednesday noon, you can sent score adjustment requests (to: hcs@hausigel.de) until then.
Hausigel

The next contest, HCS 5 (Loop puzzles), is going to take place May 24-27. The instruction file is already available.
Link to the contest page: http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?chlang=en&id...
Hausigel

Hello,
just a short reminder that the contest HCS 5 will start tomorrow.
Concerning manual adjustments: As usual, I will inquire in case of wrong syntax; apart from that, adjustments are only made on request of the participant. In either case, you can only receive 80% of the points.
Hausigel

The contest is over, please send any score adjustment requests (hcs@hausigel.de) no later than Wednesday noon, after that I will finalize the scoring.

Short reminder, the next contest will take place this weekend. Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?chlang=en&id...

The contest has started. Good luck to all participants.

The contest is over, thanks to all participants. Score ajustment requests can be made until Wednesday noon (hcs@hausigel.de).

Hi folks,
the contest HCS 7 will take place Jul 12-15.
The topic of this contest is: Instructionless. I know that contests of this nature are generally controversial. There is a thread in the German forum for more information about the interpretation of the contest rules. Questions are welcome, of course. Link to the thread:
http://forum.logic-masters.de/showthread.php?tid=1165
Hausigel

The demonstration puzzle in the instruction file contained an error, I have uploaded a corrected version. Sorry.
Hausigel

Just a short reminder that the contest HCS 7 (Instructionless) will start in a few hours. Please note that manual score adjustments will only take place if you can convince me that you have found an alternative solution, not in case of typos of any kind. Good luck to all participants.

Hello,
I have made a very stupid error (thanks to uvo for noticing). There is a new version of the contest file, uploaded on Friday at 12.35; the order of the puzzles, some scores and two puzzles (9 and 10 in the corrected version) have changed.
I apologize for the inconvenience. I hope those who downloaded the old version can read this in time. If there are any problems related to this issue, I will of course adjust the scores in your favor.
Hausigel

The contest is over, thanks to all participants.
Score adjustment requests can still be made until Sunday (hcs@hausigel.de); see the German forum for more details.
Hausigel

The contest HCS 8 will take place Aug 23-26.

The contest HCS 8 (Aug 23-26) has been set up, and the instruction file is available:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?id=48
Please note that the instruction file does not contain any examples. You will find example puzzles here:
http://www.hochhausigel.de/e-varianten.html
Regarding manual score adjustments: Traditionally, in my Skyscraper puzzle contests there will be no penalties for manual adjustment in case of typos. Still, I hope to have as little work as possible in this regard. :) I will inquire myself if I spot a mistake that looks like a typo to me; apart from that, you are welcome to send me an email with score adjustment requests no later than Wednesday after the contest.
Hausigel

In the English instructions for Puzzle 6 (Incomplete) should one of the words "row" instead read "column"?

You are right, sorry about that. Martin Kollar also noticed the mistake, I have uploaded a corrected version of the instruction file.

Hello,
the contest has started, have fun.
I will not sit on my PC around the clock, but I will regularly send messages to the participants if I suspect entry mistakes, so it might be a good idea to check your email after your 120 minutes.
Hausigel

Hello,
the contest is over, preliminary results should be visible now. If you have any score adjustment requests, please send them to me until Wednesday noon.
Hausigel

The scoring table of the contest HCS 8 has been finalized; congratulations to Ulrich Voigt, Hideaki Jo, Michael Ley and Kota Morinishi. You will also find the updated total scoring on the HCS overview page. Please let me know if you find any mistakes.
Hausigel

Hello,
the next contest will take place Sep 13-16.
Hausigel

Hello,
the contest HCS 10 is planned to take place Oct 4-7 as WPC preparation.
Hausigel

Oh my, there'll be lots of WPC preparation that weekend... (there'll also be an LMI puzzle test if all goes as planned).
Denis

Hello,
the contest HCS 9 will start in about 12 hours; I hope you enjoy the puzzles.
Concerning score adjustments: I will inquire only in case of syntax errors, otherwise I will wait for the participants to send their score adjustment requests to me first; in either case, there will be a 20% penalty for manual score adjustments. Please note that there is a clarification of the rules for the puzzles 19-22 (Blackout Math) in the German forum.
Hausigel

Hello,
the contest HCS 9 is over; thanks to all participants. Score adjustment requests are still possible till Wednesday noon (hcs@hausigel.de). Meanwhile I have activated the next contest which will take place Oct 4-7. Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?id=49
Hausigel

The scoring of the contest HCS 9 has been finalized. Congratulations to Hideaki Jo who beat Ulrich by an inch, to Ulrich Voigt and to Daisuke Takei, and to the runner-ups as well, of course.
Hausigel

Edited by Hausigel 2013-09-19 12:04 AM

Hello,
I have uploaded a new version of the instruction file for the contest HCS 10. The solution keys for the following puzzles have changed: 3, 6, 8, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24, 27, 28, 30 and 39.
Basically, only the row information must be entered for several puzzle types (instead of row and column information), for example the number of black cells for Hitori/Heyawake, the number of mines in Minesweeper, etc. In the Hashi, only the number of horizontal and vertical double bridges is required; in Stations, the contents of two marked rows must be entered (like in Second turn).
Plus, I have rotated two examples by 90°.
Hausigel
PS: If I have overlooked any puzzles which appear suitable for a similar change of the solution key, or if I have made any mistakes in the process, you are welcome to let me know.

Hello,
the contest HCS 10 starts in a few hours. Enjoy!
Manual score adjustments wll be handled as in most of the HCS contests: there will be a 20% penalty, and I will inquire myself only in case of syntax errors. (If someone who has not read my last notice enters the old answer keys, I will correct them without penalty.)
One more thing: The puzzle files in my contests typically contain one page for each puzzle type. That means, you would have to print 40 pages. If you want to save paper, I am offering you this: There will be a second version of the contest file, with two puzzles on each page, but without instructions and without any explanations on the answer keys. Of course, that file will be encrypted, too; I will upload it in the German forum shortly before the contest begins.
Hausigel

Ouch - I was just told that, in the Stations puzzle, the arrows are missing which are supposed to mark the answer key rows. These are the rows 3 and 6 from above. Sorry!
(I have uploaded a corrected file version.)

The contest HCS 10 is over. Thanks to all participants, congratulations to Ulrich Voigt, Hideaki Jo, Tomasz Strózak and Philipp Weiß.
I will announce the next contest in a weak or two; meanwhile, good luck to the WSC/WPC participants.

Hello,
I have updated the total scoring and activated the next contest which will take place Nov 15-18.
Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?id=60
Hausigel

Hello,
the contest begins shortly; good luck to all participants. As usual, I will send you a message by myself in case of syntax errors and otherwise just wait for score adjustment requests. And the usual 20% penalty will applay if manual adjustments are necessary.
Hausigel

Hello,
please note: Just as page 1 of the contest file, page 3 does not contain any puzzles, but only the instructions for Persistence of Memory. They are very long, and there was not enough space left below them for any puzzle grids...
Hausigel

Hello,
the time window for the contest is closed; please send score adjustment requests no later than Wednesday.
Hausigel

Now that the contest is over, is it possible to get the password for those of us who didn't get to do it live, but would still like to attempt to solve the puzzles offline?

Thanks!

Hello,
the scoring has been finalized. Congratulations to Endo Ken who beat uvo by an inch, to uvo, Tomasz Strózak and to the runner-ups. Thanks to all participants.
@sbeck: This means that the contest can be started again (you will just not show up in the scoring table).
The contest HCS 12 (Mazes) will probably take play Dec 6-9. The instruction file and the contest file are not quite finished, but they will be uploaded shortly.
Hausigel

Hello,
at last, the final HCS contest has been set up, and the instruction file is available now. As always, feel free to ask questions about the puzzle types.
Link to the contest page:
http://www.logic-masters.de/Wettbewerbe/wettbewerb.php?id=61
In case you already had a look at the file: I have just uploaded an updated version which includes a few amendments to the puzzle instructions and a 3D image for the Rolling Block Maze. (Many thanks to uvo who gave me access to his image files for the HCS.)
Regarding the solution keys: In puzzles where the solution key consists of directions, an E may be entered instead of an O for Ost (=East). The notations RLOU (Rechts, Links, Oben, Unten) or RLUD (Right, Left, Up, Down) will also be accepted.
Hausigel

Hello,
the contest starts tomorrow, I hope you enjoy the puzzles. Regarding the solution keys:
As said earlier, different notations are accepted in puzzles where the directions must be entered. Other solutions than the intended ones (especially those with extra loops) will of course be accepted, too. If your entries differ only slightly - by my jugdement - from the correct ones, I will inquire myself. Apart from that, you are as usual welcome to request manual score adjustments until Wednesday (hcs@hausigel.de). Please note that some of the answer keys might be very long; that is why there will be no penalties for manual adjustments in this contest whatsoever, as long as I can expect that you have solved the puzzles correctly.
Hausigel

Hello,
another short remark: Since some of the mazes are very large, the pages 6-18 of the contest file contain only the puzzle diagrams; the instructions can be found on the pages 1-5. Please note furthermore that the second Escher maze (puzzle 8) has been rotated by 90° to fit on the page.
Hausigel

The contest HCS 12 is over. Congratulations to James on a great victory! You will find a few closing remarks in the German forum.
The total scoring table will be updated within the next few days.
Hausigel

Hello,
the total scoring has been updated; changes are still possible. If you find any mistakes, please let me know until Sunday. After that, I wll officially close the HCS.
Hausigel

Dear puzzle friends,
the HCS is now officially closed, there will be no more changes in the scoring table. Congratulations to Ulrich Voigt (uvo), Hideaki Jo (deu) and Nikola Zivanovic (nikolaz), and to the following participants in the table as well.
I would like to thank again all participants. Many thanks especially to the Japanese delegation which took part in all the individual contests in great numbers, and which has raised the overall level of the HCS considerably. Of course, I also thank all the other participants, the regular ones as much as the occasional ones.
You will find a few statistics in my blog.
Hausigel

Hello,
I have set up another contest on the LM initial page, "Dream within a Dream". The contest takes place in "Rallye" mode, which means that there will not be a short time window for solving the puzzles; the contest will run over a year in total. Since I designed the puzzles at the same time as the HCS, you are welcome to view this contest unofficially as "HCS 13". Otherwise - just view it as a Christmas present.
Hausigel